Saturday, April 29, 2017

China May Help Defuse North Korean Nuclear Threat: Valid Offer or Not

China's Solution to Help Resolve North Korea's Nuclear Threat
(Bomb and Destroy their nuke sites)

The following is mainly from Chinese sources, but believed to be true and accurate:
The headlines: China threatens to bomb and destroy NK nuclear sites if their “bottom line is crossed”
China appears to step in big time vis-à-vis their red line” calling it their “bottom line.”
They referred to an article with the topic: “The United States Must Not Choose a Wrong Direction to Break the DPRK Nuclear Deadlock” (it was published Wednesday, April 26th). Beijing warned that it would attack North Korea's nuclear facilities effectively engaging in an act of war, if North Korea crosses China's “bottom line.”
What is that “bottom line?” Apparently, North Korean nuclear activities must not jeopardize northeastern China. If North Korea were to impact China with its illicit nuclear tests through either “nuclear leakage or pollution,” then China will respond with force, saying: “China has a bottom line that it will protect at all costs the security and stability of northeast China... If the bottom line is touched, China will employ all means available including the military means to strike back. By that time, it is not an issue of discussion whether China acquiesces to any U.S. blows, but the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will launch attacks to DPRK nuclear facilities on its own.”
Note: Shortly after publication, the article seems to have been retracted without explanation with the URL returning a “familiar 404 site error” message. However not before the original article was cached on a web page owned by China Military, courtesy of Google (picture is here).
In that same editorial, the author declared that the PLA would launch attacks on the NK nuclear facilities on its own, even if the U.S. does not, adding: A strike to nuclear facilities of the DPRK (the official name of NK) is the best military means in the opinion of the outside world.”
Note: The northeastern Chinese provinces of Liaoning and Jilin share borders with North Korea. These two provinces and Heilongjiang are part of the Shenyang Military Region, one of seven military regions of the PLA.
The editorial then explained the advantages to the world of a Chinese attack on North Korea's nuclear facilities explained this way: “Once the PLA attacks these nuclear sites, the DPRK will permanently suspend its nuclear weapons programs.”
Further, The DPRK has limited resources of nuclear materials that are strictly blockaded in the outside world, erasing the possibility for DPRK to get the materials again. “Nuclear weapons” is DPRK's trump card for its defiance of China and the United States. Once this card is lost, it will become obedient immediately.”
Further, if the DPRK “nuclear facilities are destroyed, they will not even fight back, but probably block the news to fool its domestic people. The DPRK will freak out if its nuclear facilities are destroyed.”
Note: Yes, a Chinese author of that did say: “Freak out.”
The report also said that "the DPRK must not fall into the turmoil to send a large number of refugees, it is not allowed to have a government that is hostile against China on the other side of the Yalu River, and the US military must not push forward its forces to the Yalu River.” It notes that "this sentence is meant for the United States, because the premise of it is that the US military has launched attacks to the DPRK."
But what may be the most notable part of the Op-ed is the mention in the Global Times editorial that North Korea will not be "not allowed to have a government that is hostile against China on the other side of the Yalu River."  This implies that if and when the US initiate strikes on NK, the Chinese PLA will likely send out troops "to lay the foundation" for a favorable post-war situation.
In simple language if true, and major, major breakthrough to end tense drama: China may be just waiting for Trump to “decapitate the DPRK regime,” in order to pounce and move in to immediately fill the power vacuum. Where that would go is anyone’s guess.
The next move it seems is up to Kim, Jong-un in North Korea – is he suicidal or not? Will Chinese pressure be enough to make him back down, and would China follow through and destroy the North’s nuclear sites and proceed as they appear to be threatening …
Obviously, stay tuned.

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